Reversed spiral molded scraper



United Sffelafem O My invention relates to parain scrapersfor `use'fin conjunction with oil-well pumping equipment or other similar devices, and more particularly relates to paran ,Scrapers made of plastic material of the type having a niernoryg` such as nylon.

The principal object of myinvention is `tprtovide a plastic parallin scraper which can `be manufactured` by molding in a form `generally resembling presentlyknown metal parainl Scrapers, and more particularly whichcan be molded in the form of tworeversetspirals meeting at a cusp located intermediate the ends of thescraper.

In my copending patent application Serial No. 506,581, tiled May'6, 1955, tandentitled Nylon Paratin Scraper,` I have 'set `forth a general disclosure teaching the manufacture of parafn scrapers by molding of plastic materials. The principal advantages` of this type of `construction, employing a plastic `material having a memory, include the advantage that the plastic exhibits spring qualities, causing it to tightly` grip the sucker rodand at the same time permitting suicient resilience so that the In addition,` t the plastic material, is` strong and is very resistant to acid generally scraperis not easily damaged.

contained in oil-well uids. t, t s t s s Otheradvantages gained by the use of plastics in paraffin scrapers include the fact that aplastic may be chosen which has a high dielectric constant to avoid electrolysis.

within the well, and also that afplasticmaterial may be chosen which is almost entirely devoid of pores and therefore exhibits very little tendency to encourage the deposit of parain on its surfaces. t My copending patent application also points out the advantagesof'the lightness of weight of the plastic material, and `also the fact that, if a` scraper made of this material is broken, the pieces thereof will float to the surface of `the well and so facilitate `their removal. t

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a` parain scraper which not only includes all of the advan-` lceN , `2 attached to sucker `rods 4which are made of a length of metal flat stock spiraled in one direction and then spiraled in the other direction. However, in this latter structure, the blade does not spiral `around the suckerrod.` Aside from these broad differences the present invention includes other structural dierences.

`As in the case of the spiral 4scraper sett forth in the t above mentioned copending application, in order to realize the advantages of the use of nylon or` other similar plastics in a paran scraper, it is necessary to change the struct ture of the prior art Scrapers in order to provide a new scraper with the necessary rigidity to permitit` to do a` satisfactory scraping job, andalso to provide it `with the necessary grip which willpermit it to hold fast to the sucker rod. In the scraper which is thesubject matter `of the present invention the cross-sectional shape of the nylon scraper intermediate the two` terminal portions thereof is substantially` a .truncated triangle, the inner rod-gripping portion thereof having a semi-cylindrical concave surface of 1diameter somewhat smaller than the t sucker rod which it is intendedto grip. From this semicylindrical surface the nylon extends outwardly in a direction transverse of the rod on both sides to form a blade which terminates at its `outer'periphery in a narrow bear-` ing surface adapted to contact and scrape` against the sides of the wellor against the well casing.

tages set forth in the copending application, but in addition discloses themolding of a parain scraper wherein Ascrew the rod joints when the assembly is reciprocated.

The present invention, however, provides a practical scraper in which both the right-hand and the left-hand sections are provided in the same scraper body, such construction having been made practical by the factthat this scraper can bemolded in one piece.

The prior art devices include scrapers of both righthand and left-hand spiral, but not in one integral structure. In addition, the prior art includes tail pieces to be The semi-cylindrical surface istmolded so as to form in the finished parain scraper a` longitudinal bore through the center of the spiral body, which bore is somewhat smaller in diameter than the diameter of the sucker rod `which the scraper is intended to tit. When the scraper is aixed to the sucker rod, the semi-cylindrical rod-gripping surface engages approximately one-half` of the circumference of the rod, thusgivingtheblade` portion of the scraper a very adequate support` so as to prevent it from bending in a direction transverse to the spiral form` of the` scraper when thetlatter is reciprocated in the well. By

this structure, the greater the load `imposed upon the t scraper within the well the tighter it grips the sucker rod` in order to compensate for the greater load and `in order to prevent slipping ofthe spiral scraper on the sucker rod. t At each end of the body portion of the scraper there is a terminal portion which is specially shaped so asto prevent snagging of the `ends of the scraper on the well casing joints. The terminal portions of the scraper in gen- `eral correspond with the general spiral shape of the blade,

and are formed byfinward tapering of the outer bearing surface of the blade so as to gradually redu-ce the height of the `blade as measured from the surface of the sucker` rod to provide a streamlining eifect on the ends of the."`

blade.

The completed nylon paraffin scraper is not permanently afxed to the sucker rod,tbut rather is shipped p separately therefrom and may be applied to the rod by suitable tools at thewell site. I will now describe in detail s the `particular embodiments of my parain scraper illustrated in the drawing wherein: t t,

Fig. l" is an elevation view showing a suckertrod having one of my plastic parain scrapersattached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a partial elevation view of the scraper and rod illustrated in Fig. 1this view being taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing the cusp of the scraper as viewed from a` position ninety degrees offset from that illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view taken along line 3-3, Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Referring now to the' drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a sucker rod R around which is spiraled a plastic parain scraper the body of which includes a scraper blade 1, which blade terminates at each end in a terminal portion 2. The cross-section 1a of the body of the scraper can be clearly seen iu Fig. 4 wherein is illustrated the semi-cylindricat rod-gripping surface l'b andy the substantially triangular side'surfaces` lc'whi'ch terminate'atthe outer 'periphery of the scraper to provide an outer bearing surface 1d. Between the side portion 1c and they semi-cylindrical rodgrippinglsurface 1b" are two'lips `1ewhich' grip' the sucker 1 divided longitudinally-at' the cusp 3 which in this illustrati tion is A4located'midwaybetween theends 'of theI scraper; Above the cusp 3 the scraping blade l'wi'nds around the rod in a right-hand spiral, and below the cusp 3 the blade 1' winds around the s uckerrod` R 'ina left-hand spiral'. In connection with the two li'p portions 1e and withthe semi-cylindrical rod-gripping surface' V1b it should be pointed out "thatbefore the plastic 'scraper' is assembled to-the sucker rod'R, the-diameter of the semi-cylindrical rod-gripping surfacelb, and therefore the diameter of the longitudinalbore which passesthrough 'the scraper body, is somewhat smaller thany 'the' outside diameter of the sucker rod', so that expansion of the lip portions leoccu'rsl when the spiral scraper is assembled on the sucker rod R. This structure insures that the scraper will engage the ysucker rodwith an extremely tight t and that the spring characteristics ofthe plastic will serve to maintain a tight grip on the sucker rod throughout the useful life of the scraper.

TheA scraper is provided at its ends with terminal portions 2 and 2'.l These terminal portions are similar in that each one amounts to an extension of the general spiral shape of the blade, but the outer bearing surface 1d is vtapered inwardly toward the sticker rod. This structure isparticularly well illustrated in Fig.` 3 which is an end view ofy the scraper. The inner tapering of the bearing surface 1c`ofthel outer periphery ofthe scraper at each end prevents snagging of the ends of the'Vv scraper on 'the joints of the casing in the well, and in addition provides end portions which have a neat and attractive appearance.

As set forth in the objects of this invention, the manufacturing of these parafn scrapers by molding makesl practical vthe composite scraper wherein the direction of the spiralis reversed intermediate the ends of the scraper body. The reversed spiral structure which I have illustrated inthe drawing and described in detail is a structure which provides satisfactory strength for the molded paraffin scraper and in addition is a structure which can be economically manufactured.

I do not limit my invention to the exact form shown in the drawing, for changes may be made in the structure within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A reversed-spiral parafn scraper for use on a rod and the'change of direction occurring at a cusp at thecenter ofthe scraper. y

2. In la scraper as set forth in claim 1, said blade yhav- 4 ing an outer peripheral bearing surface, said surface being tapered inwardly toward the rod at the terminal portions' of the scraper toprevent snagging of the ends.

3. A spiral paraffin scraper of plastic material adapted to spiral around and grip a sucker rod, comprising a body portion including two longitudinally distinct halves, one of right-hand spiral and the other of left-hand spiral, and said halves meeting and being integrally joined at a cusp where the direction of spiral reverses; said body portion standing normal to the surface of the rod along the length of the scraper to form a blade, and the inner periphery of the body having a rod-gripping concave surface cornplern'enta'ryin shape to the surface of the rod and extending no more tharI-half-wayv therearound at any location taken transversely of the rod.

4. A spiral paraffin scraper consisting of plastic material and adapted to spiral around and grip a sucker rod, comprising a` spiral blade standing normal to the surface of the 'sucker' rod vand having a narrow outer peripheral bearing surface, and a broader inner rod gripping surface complementary to the rod surface and extending not more than half-way therearound; the blade spiraling through the ends of the scraper whereat the direction of spiraling' 5. A spiral paraflin scraper consisting of plasticmat'e rial and adapted to spiral 'around and grip a sucker rod', comprising a blade standing normal to the rod at all points and spiraling therearound to detnea body having an outer A spiral vbearing surface and having an inner spiral"rod v gripping surface all points of` which lie on the surface of asemi-cylinder concentric with" said rod and extending'y no more' than half-Way therearound; the' convolutionsofjy the blade extending longitudinally outwardly in both directions froma cusp located intermediate the ends of the body andl the direction of spiraling of the blade being reversed at the cusp.

6. A spiral paraffin scraper consisting of plastic mate?, rial and adapted to engage and grip a sucker rod, said' scraper comprising a spiralingv blade standing normal to the surface of the rod and having an inner periphery defining an axial rod-receiving bore, the inner periphery at rod, said blade spiraling around said rod in one direction over'part of its length and in the other directionfor the remainderl of'its length, and the change of direction occurringy at a` cusp intermediate the scraper ends.

References Citedin the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,639,660 Neumeyer Aug. 23, 1927 1,810,260 Swinford June 16, 1931 1,891,615 Bestie Dec. 2o, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,425 Great Britain' .Tune 23, 1900 

